I feel at home instantly! This place has got "Dr. Who?" books, Gary Larson comics, Order of the Stick games, an amazingly transforming polyhedron cube, and more!
My hosts are the Chakat Sandwalker - or Sandy for short - his mate Ant, the mouse, and Ant's wife Fiona, a Fantail. As a way of saying thanks, I bake them tasty cookies...
...and delicious pizza, among other things.
After updating my blog, I have some time left, and take a day to go on...
The New Plymouth Far Stray
As usual, I selectmy route by checking on Geocaches, which I want to find. First off, it takes me into the Brooklands Park...
...and promptly find some lost treasure.
Subsequently, I come across a tree with a hole...
...as well as a historical chimney.
I also visit the Brooklands Zoo...
...which among others has a mob of scuttling Meerkats...
...birds trying to imitate my chirp...
...and adorable Otters playing in the water.
The Brooklands Park eventually transitions seamlessly into the Pukekura Park, which, apart from on-demand-waterfalls...
...also has quite a number of oriental elements to it.
Eventually, all this walking ends up making me thirsty, so I find a suitable place to quench my thirst.
Just kidding. Naturally, I'm using one of these instead...
...though some people prefer something that's even more sophisticated.
On my way through New Plymouth, I also come across a protected tree...
...make my way through a bamboo thicket...
...and pass up the chance to eat in a chaotic café.
Finally I reach the shore, and stop by the Wind Wand, which is built on top of a Ley Line...
...only to find that a rock is staring at me.
On my way down the rocky coast (remember, there are only three north-facing sand beaches on the western coast of the North Island)...
...I come by a cute doggie bag dispenser and disposal bin...
...and people feeding the seagulls (who in turn are quite enthusiastic about it).
Burglars watch out, because this house is protected by Cactus Security!
Climbing on top of the Churchill Heights in the Western Park...
...I get a lovely view of New Plymouth...
...and find a nice little cache of foreign coins.
But eventually, it's time to head back to the furry den, taking the scenic route through a nice, green passage.
Birthday Abroad
Eventually, the 29th anniversary of my birth arrives, and to celebrate it, we have amazing cheesecake!
Also, Ant's and Fiona's child, a spirited young boy by the name of Hunter, comes along, and I find myself quite busy playing with him... especially once I mention Minecraft.
[Picture Hunter playing Minecraft]
For a boy of only 8 years, he's quite skilled, and soon has built a respectable little abode.
Also, I know it's not supposed to work that way, but I ended up gifting them a little piece of artwork as a thanks for taking me in.
The Day the Bus did (not) come
And before I know it, it's already time to depart again. Sandy accompanies me as far as the Vogeltown bus stop, where we wait for the bus to take me down to the central bus station. We wait and wait, however, the bus doesn't show up, so eventually I decide to walk...
...all the way down to the bus station...
...with about 30kg of luggage strapped to myself. Fortunately, the central bus stop is down near the coast, so the road only goes downhill for most of the time.
Still, I somehow manage to make it, and half an hour later, I'm comfortably sitting in the InterCity Bus headed for Bulls.
It takes me somewhere over the rainbow...
...race clouds on the sea of shifting grass...
...and past some memorable memorials.
Finally, I arrive in Bulls, where I wait for Max, my next WWOOFing host to pick me up.
Luck doesn't seem to be on my side today, since I have to wait two full hours for Max to arrive - turns out he mixed up 11:30 for 1:30. Oh well. At least the Bulls Info Centre near the bus station was nice and sheltered me from the savage winds that were blowing.
Once I arrive at their little farm in Marton, the kids - Lennon and Hazel - give me a tour of the place, showing me the young goats...
...the geese and their chicks...
...as well as the untamed house pigs.
There's also cats and dogs around - one pair each.
And somehow, I end up playing Minecraft with the kids again...
...before we all sit together and have home made sushi.
Everybody, including the kids, get to make their own rolls, and we put all sorts of things inside (Except for fish. We don't have fish right now). We have a jolly good time together, and the good spirit is not even broken when I accidentally dip the grated carrots into the compost, in what should later get to be known as "The Carrot Incident" (not to be confused with "The Onion Incident").
A cosy little fire burns in the wood stove, keeping us all nice and warm. I like this place already, and can't wait to see what the future holds in store for me here.
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